Heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger for use in an automobile air conditioning system including inlet and outlet union elements is disclosed. The heat exchanger comprises a plurality of flat tubes for conducting refrigerant and a plurality of corrugated fins fixedly sandwiched between the flat tubes. The flat tubes and the corrugated fins jointly form a heat exchange region. First and second header pipes are fixedly and hermetically connected to the flat tubes and communicate with the interior of the tubes. The header pipes are also provided with inlet and outlet union elements for connecting the heat exchanger to other external elements of the air conditioning system. Each of inlet and outlet union elements includes a rectangular parallelpiped block having a cavity formed therein. Each of the blocks is generally located at a coner of the heat exchanger defined by the top and bottom ends of the header pipes and the heat exchanger region. The cavity formed in the block allows fluid communication between the hollow interior of the header pipe and the interior of a pipe member which links the heat exchanger to external elements of the air conditioning system. The hollow interior of the flat tubes which are located in the top and bottom end portions of the heat exchange region also communicate with the cavity through holes formed in the parallelpiped block.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a heat exchanger for a refrigerant fluid circuit, said heat exchanger comprising a plurality of tubes having opposite first and second open ends, a plurality of fin units disposed between said plurality of tubes, said tubes and fin units jointly forming a heat exchange region, first and second header pipes, each of said header pipes having an open end and fixedly and hermetically coupled to one of said opposite ends of each of said tubes to allow said tubes to communicate with the interior of said header pipes, at least one of said header pipes having means for linking said heat exchanger to an external element of said refrigerant fluid circuit, the improvement comprising: said linking means including a block member located at an inner side of a corner of the heat exchanger defined by the open end of one of said first and second header pipes and said heat exchange region for sealing the open end of said one of said first and second header pipes, said block member having a cavity formed therein, said cavity opening to the interior of said one of said first and second header pipes, and communicating with the interior of at least one of said tubes, said cavity further opening to an outer surface of said block member to communicate with said external element of said refrigerant fluid circuit.   
     
     
       2. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein said block member is a rectangular parallelpiped. 
     
     
       3. The heat exchanger of claim 2 wherein the thickness of said block member is substantially equal to the thickness of said heat exchange region. 
     
     
       4. The heat exchanger of claim 2 wherein said cavity opens to one of the side surfaces of said block member parallel to a front surface of said heat exchange region. 
     
     
       5. The heat exchanger of claim 2 wherein said cavity opens to a top side surface of said block member opposite said heat exchange region. 
     
     
       6. The heat exchanger of claim 2 wherein said cavity opens to an outer side surface of said block member opposite said heat exchange region. 
     
     
       7. The heat exchanger of claim 4 wherein at least one hole having a female screw portion is formed in said one of side surfaces of said block member perpendicular to said front surface of said heat exchange region. 
     
     
       8. The heat exchanger of claim 5 wherein at least one hole having a female screw portion is formed in said top side surface of said block member parallel to said first and second header pipes. 
     
     
       9. The heat exchanger of claim 6 wherein at least one hole having a female screw portion is formed in said outer side surface of said block member perpendicular to said first and second header pipes. 
     
     
       10. The heat exchanger of claim 7 further comprising a pipe member fixedly and hermetically connected at one of its ends to said one of said side surfaces of said block member and fastening means for connecting said pipe member to said block member, said pipe member having its other end linked to said external element of said refrigerant fluid circuit. 
     
     
       11. The heat exchanger of claim 10 wherein said fastening means comprises at least one bolt which is screwed into said female screw portion of said hole. 
     
     
       12. The heat exchanger of claim 8 further comprising a pipe member fixedly and hermetically connected at one of its ends to said top side surface of said block member and fastening means for connecting said pipe member to said block member, said pipe member having its other end linked to said external element of said refrigerant fluid circuit. 
     
     
       13. The heat exchanger of claim 12 wherein said fastening means comprises at least one bolt which is screwed into said female screw portion of said hole. 
     
     
       14. The heat exchanger of claim 9 further comprising a pipe member fixedly and hermetically connected at one of its ends to said outer side surface of said block member and fastening means for connecting said pipe member to said block member, said pipe member having its other end linked to said external element of said refrigerant fluid circuit. 
     
     
       15. The heat exchanger recited in claim 14 wherein said fastening means comprises at least one bolt which is screwed into said female screw portion of said hole. 
     
     
       16. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein said heat exchanger is a condenser.